Anti Corruption Agency visit: Part II

Today three representatives of the Anti Corruption Agency visited my office for the second time in three weeks in relation to its investigation of the videotape that I released to the public on 19 September.

I appreciate the continued cooperation of the ACA but must reiterate my solemn concern that the government is using the ACA to delay a proper investigation and to divert the public’s attention from the critical issues of judicial misconduct that are raised by the video.

The ACA recorded a further statement from me today. I informed them that the original of the 14 minute video clip is with the source who initially brought it to me. I gave them my undertaking however that I would supply them a genuine and proper copy which they could use to authenticate the video clip on Thursday 25 October 2007. However after completing the statement and despite my undertaking, the ACA officers received an instruction to issue an order to me compelling me to submit the original complete videotape recording, including the six-minute segment of the video that has yet to be viewed by the public, on or before Thursday. This was done despite my informing them that the original was still with the source. Failure to meet their demands may be met with prosecution.

It is an anathema that the ACA would be so concerned about the tape’s authenticity when those featured in it, VK Lingam, Ahmed Fairuz, Vincent Tan and Tengku Adnan, have not been investigated or issued any public denial of the conversation that is featured in the videotape.

I therefore call upon the ACA to adhere to its mission in rooting out corruption and investigating the misconduct of public officials and move beyond what can only be described today as a witch-hunt for the whistleblowers.

I also remain deeply concerned over the welfare of the individual or individuals who have asked me to bring this videotape to the public’s attention. The guarantee of their personal safety and immunity from legal action are yet unanswered questions that must be addressed in order for the remainder of the tape to be released.

The establishment of an independent Royal Commission to investigate the serious allegations of corruption that the videotape raises remains an option favoured by the Malaysian Bar Council, political parties from the opposition and from within the government, and other civil society organisations. I would simply reiterate my call for these measures to be taken so that the investigation can proceed in a timely manner.

The ACA delegation was headed by Tuan Sazali bin Salbi, Head of Special Tasks Branch cum Deputy Commissioner, ACA Putrajaya.

Anwar Exposes Judicial Corruption Video

This video recording implicates the highest office of judiciary in a conspiracy to pervert the cause of justice through the machinations of a lawyer tainted with a scandalous history involving questionable dealings and conduct that brings disrepute to the legal and judicial professions.

In 1994, lawyer VK Lingham was photographed with the then Chief Justice Tun Eusoffe Chin holidaying in New Zealand under circumstances that would give rise to the inference of a serious breach of professional conduct on part of the lawyer and even more serious implications of unethical conduct on the part of the Chief Justice. Lingham was also implicated in the PricewaterhouseCoopers report which was tabled to Parliament following a thorough audit investigation of the Perwaja Steel scandal involving the loss of billions of ringgit of taxpayers’ money.

In this video, Lingham was seen and heard to be talking to the current Chief Justice of the Federal Court, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim wherein my name, among others, is specifically mentioned.

It is mentioned in the context of a conspiracy to influence the appointment of senior judges and pervert the cause of justice. In view of this, we have reason to believe that whatever has transpired in this exchange in 2002 had some bearing on the outcomes in a number of judicial proceedings, including mine.

The video also implicates Vincent Tan and Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. The former is a businessman and gaming tycoon who was allegedly at the center of a scandal involving the abuse of the judicial process now known as the Ayer Molek case. The latter is a prominent Umno leader and a member of the Cabinet who was involved in the political conspiracy to remove me in 1998.

Such a scandalous expose, as indeed this video really is, only serves to corroborate our allegations of a political conspiracy of the highest level and corruption of the highest judicial office, seriously bringing into question the impartiality of judicial proceedings involving the affected parties. This is matter of utmost public importance and we demand the setting up of an Independent Tribunal to investigate this shameful and scandalous episode.

In this regard, we make a special appeal to the conference of rulers to continue to play their constitutionally entrenched role in safeguarding the rights of the people by exercising their discretionary powers in all matters within their jurisdiction.